《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词3500》Unit70:蹦极—玩的就是心跳

　　Unit 70
Bungee -- Just for the Thrill
Would you pay lots of money to fall off a 120-foot high platform, held only by an elastic¹ cord around your waist or ankles? It may sound crazy, but lots of people do it. Bungee Jumping, as it is called, is gaining as much popularity² as it is gaining controversy³ and criticism.
Bungee has quite an old origin. The idea of this way of jumping comes from the ancient ritual⁴ "Gkol" performed in the Pentecost Island in the Pacific Archipelago of Vanuatu. The legend says that in the village Bunlap a man had a quarrel with his wife and she ran away and climbed a tree where she wrapped her ankles with vines. When he came up to her, the woman jumped from the tree and so did her husband not knowing what his wife had done. So he died but the woman survived. The men of Bunlap were very impressed by this performance and they began to practice such jumps in case they got in similar situation. This practice transformed into a ritual for rich yam harvest and also for proving manhood.
Bungee jumping as a sport started in New Zealand, probably in the 1970s. People attached thick elastic cords, called bungees, to their bodies. Then they jump off bridges or high buildings, falling fast through the air until the cord caught them, and then bounced back up and down a few times until coming to a stop.
Modern bungee jumping is usually done in a parking lot and people jump from a platform at the top of a crane. You can have bungees tied to your waist or ankles. There's a large air cushion at the bottom that is supposed to catch you if the bungees break or if something goes very wrong. People who bungee jump say the thrill is like no other thrill. "You have a feeling of accomplishment," says one. "It beats a roller coaster ride," says another. One happy customer says, "just for a second you feel like you're going to die. It's amazing."
But there are many customers who are less than satisfied. In fact, more than a dozen people have got killed in bungee jumping accidents last year in the U.S.A. and Canada and many non-fatal accidents have been reported. This has promoted many countries and U.S. states to pass bans on bungee jumping. Many U.S. states are also passing laws imposing⁵ strict safety requirements on bungee jumping business.
Despite the dangers of bungee jumping, people still line up and pay lots of money to experience the death-challenging thrill. One couple even ended their wedding night by bungee jumping together in Atlantic City. The groom⁶ said, "When I'm flying through the air holding my wife in my arms and knowing she trusts me 100 percent, that is what love is all about."

1 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

2 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 ritual   

adj.例行的，老规矩的，惯常的

参考例句：

• This was the monthly ritual.这是每月一次的例规。
• I realized that here the conventions required me to make the ritual noises.我意识到此时按照惯例我应该说些客套话。

5 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

6 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。